Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) is a non-invasive treatment that uses acoustic waves to promote healing in musculoskeletal conditions. It is commonly used in physiotherapy and orthopedics to address various types of soft tissue injuries and chronic pain conditions.
### **Benefits of ESWT in Musculoskeletal Medicine:**
1. **Non-invasive treatment**: No surgery or injections required.
2. **Promotes healing**: Increases blood circulation and stimulates cell regeneration in tendons, ligaments, and bones.
3. **Reduces pain**: Interrupts the transmission of pain signals and can desensitize the area.
4. **Breakdown of calcifications**: Effective in disintegrating calcified deposits in tendons, such as in calcific tendinitis.
5. **Stimulates tissue repair**: Encourages natural healing processes, including the production of collagen, which is essential for the repair of damaged tissues.
6. **Short treatment duration**: Each session lasts 10-20 minutes, and several sessions (typically 3-5) are often enough to produce noticeable improvements.
7. **Minimally invasive with minimal downtime**: Recovery time is significantly shorter compared to surgical interventions.
### **Indications for ESWT:**
1. **Chronic tendinopathies**:
– **Plantar fasciitis** (heel pain)
– **Achilles tendinopathy**
– **Patellar tendinitis** (jumper’s knee)
– **Tennis elbow** (lateral epicondylitis)
– **Golfer’s elbow** (medial epicondylitis)
– **Rotator cuff tendinopathy** (especially calcific tendinitis)
2. **Calcific deposits in tendons**: Effective for conditions like calcific tendinitis of the shoulder, helping to break down calcium deposits.
3. **Myofascial pain syndrome**: Helps alleviate trigger points in muscle tissue.
4. **Bone healing disorders**: Delayed or non-unions of fractures.
5. **Chronic pain conditions**: Effective for managing chronic conditions where conventional treatments have failed, especially when the condition has been persistent for more than six months.
6. **Bursitis**: For chronic inflammation of bursae, such as trochanteric bursitis.
### **Contraindications**:
– Coagulation disorders or the use of anticoagulants
– Presence of tumors or infections in the area
– Pregnant patients (especially in the abdominal area)
– Over areas with implants (e.g., pacemakers) or in close proximity to large blood vessels and nerves.
### **Side Effects**:
– Local swelling, redness, or bruising
– Mild discomfort during or after the session
– Temporary increase in pain immediately following treatment
ESWT is particularly beneficial for patients who haven’t responded well to traditional treatments like rest, physical therapy, or steroid injections. It can be a valuable tool for speeding up recovery in stubborn cases of soft tissue injuries.
